Adrian Spence has created one of the most noted chamber music ensembles in the United States. Spence’s interest lies in the development of a truly dynamic relationship between the audience and the performers. Artistically excellent performances are the foundation permitting the development of a concert experience that combines stimulating programming with an environment audiences find to be engaging and friendly. Pursuing the relationship between audience and performer has led to the creation of a number of innovative audience development programs designed to complement the formal concert experience. “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Classical Music; When to Clap and Other Mysteries Revealed,” is a lecture series held in bookstores. “The Coffeehouse Series” is a series of informal, informative concerts held in venues ranging from coffee shops to churches to pizza parlors, and has proved attractive to families. Most recently, Camerata Pacifica’s “Martini Club,” an interactive discussion/performance series held in restaurants and bars was particularly popular. The flagship series of chamber music concerts is resident in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Marino, and Los Angeles.

Camerata Pacifica performances are regularly broadcast on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” Notable musicians who have become friends of, and appeared with, Camerata Pacifica’s notable musicians include Jean-Pierre Rampal, Eliot Fisk, Robert van Sice, Barry Douglas, and Frederica von Stade. With Ms. Von Stade the ensemble premiered Winter Roses, a song cycle commissioned from the celebrated American composer, Jake Heggie.

Last season Spence announced a major commissioning initiative with the Belfast-born composer Ian Wilson. Ian’s work, to be programmed over the three seasons, will include the world premieres of three new works written for the Camerata. The first commission, The Messenger Concerto for Violin and Chamber Ensemble received it’s premiere with 5 Southern Californian performances in May 2007. In 2008 the ensemble toured the worked to The Library of Congress in Washington DC, New York’s Morgan Library & Museum, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall and venues in Northern Ireland. The Irish Times referred to the Camerata as  a “miracle of modern artistic organisation” and London’s Daily Telegraph referred to the ensemble as, “a very serious group of fine artists.” Spence’s commissioning continues with the Chinese composer Huang Ruo writing a Chamber Concerto for violist Richard O’Neill, and the Russian Lera Auerbach writing a similar work for cellist Ani Aznavoorian.